Clutch.



G. M. SMITH.

M CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. 1916.

1, 26,260 Patented May15,1917.

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GEORGE M. SMITH, 0F WINOOSKI, VERMONT.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 19117.

Application filed June 13, 1916. Serial No. 103,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lVinooski, in the county of Chittenden and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a clutch, and particularly to a clutch for feeding mechanism for carding machines of the kind shown in Letters Patent of the United States to Bramwell, No. 216,37 3, dated June 10, 1879. As is well known to those familiar with the art, feeding mechanisms of this sort contain lifting apron, or spike apron as it is usually called, by which the wool or other material being handled is liftcd from a casing and deposited into a scale pan where it is weighed. When the scale receives the predetermined weight of material the delivery of the material is auto matically stopped by stopping the spike apron until the scale is dumped, whereupon the spike apron is again automatically started in action. The present invention has to do particularly with the clutch mechanism by which the shaft which actuates the spike apron is connected to and disconnected from the driving wheel.

In the accompanying drawings which illlustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved clutch mechanism, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the clutch mechanism Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section, viewed from the opposite side to Fig. 1, showing some only of the parts, the clutch elements being in operative position; and

Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the movable clutch element in disengaged position.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the shaft to be driven, such as the actuating shaft of the spike apron of a feeding machine. B is a gear wheel, constituting the driving member, loose on the shaft A, and adapted to be continuously driven by any suitable means, not shown. It will be understood that the driving member might be a pulley instead of a gear wheel. 0 (Fig. 4) is a lever or latch for controlling the clutch as hereinafter explained. The latch C may be controlled by the movements of the scale pan in the usual way.

The clutch elements are the lug or projecgether by a pin (Z at the tion 6 fixed to the driving wheel B and moving in a fixed circular path, and the toggle, consisting of the links (Z, cl, pivoted toelbow of the to 'gle. The toggle is pivoted at one end to the fixed disk D by means of a pin 6Z3 passing through the link (Z. The disk D fixed to the shaft A. constitutes the driven member. The toggle is pivoted at the other end on stud c which is fixed to a ratchet wheel E loose on the hub of the fixed disk D. The ratchet wheel E constitutes the clutch controlling member operating in the manner hereinafter explained.

F is a friction wheel loose on a hub of the driving wheel B and located between the driving wheel B and. the driven wheel D. The wheel F is frictionally connected to the wheel 33 by means of a strap or belt 6 encircling the wheel F and secured at its ends to a stud on wheel B. The stud 6 fixed to the ratchet wheel E extends through an elongated slot (Z in the driven disk D, thence through the end of link cl of the toggle and into a hole f in the friction wheel F. Thus the friction wheel F and the clutch controlling ratchet wheel E are connected to turn together by means of stud e, and also have a limited movement of rotation relative to the driven wheel D which is permitted by the slot (Z As the toggle is pivoted at one end to the driven member D and at the other end to the controlling ratchet wheel IE, it will be seen that the relative movement of rotation between said members will move the elbow of the toggle in and out relatively to the center of the device.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the clutch is engaged and the driving wheel 13, which is continuously rotated in the direction of the arrow, is connected through the lug or projection Z) and the toggle, made up of links cl, 0?, to the disk D. As the disk D is fast on shaft A the latter will be rotated by the driving wheel B. The endwise thrust on the link (Z of the toggle will be taken up in part by the reinforcing lug (Z on the disk D, against which the end of the link (Z abuts, thereby relieving the strain on pivot pin 6Z3. In the position last described all the parts will be rotated together from the driving wheel B.

If now the lever or latch C, which is con trolled by the weighing devices of the feeding mechanism, is moved into engagement V The slot cl permits the continued move with the ratchet wheel E as shown in Fig. 4, the rotation of the ratchet wheel E will be thereby arrested, and the links cl, cl, of the toggle will be straightened out and withdrawn from the path of the lug 1), thereby disengaging the clutch by the following action: As soon as the clutch controlling ratchet wheel E is stopped, the continuously rotating driving wheel B will cause the elbow of the togg to flatten, since the pivot c is held stationary while the lug Z) continues to push the upper end of the link cl and the link (Z forward, carrying the driven disk D forward also, until the lug b clears the elbow of the toggle and the toggle is straightened out as shown in Fig. 4.

ment of the disk D after the ratchet wheel E has stopped. The stopping of wheel E will also stop the friction wheel F which is connected to it by stud a but the belt 6 will slip permitting the wheel B to continue its rotation. So long as the wheel E is held stationary the toggle will remain in the position shown in Fig. 4 with its elbow fully drawn inward out of the path of the projection b on the driving wheel B, thus allowing the wheel B to revolve idly around the shaft.

lVhen the latch C is removed from the ratchet wheel E so that the latter is again free to turn, the friction wheel F, to which the wheel E is pinned by stud 6, will be rotated by means of the friction strap Z),

causing the friction wheel F and the ratchet wheel E again to turn with the driving wheel B. As the shaft A and fixed driven wheel D are stationary at this time the rotation of the ratchet wheel E will again cause the toggle to buckle outward as the pivot point e approaches the pivot point d until the elbow of the toggle is again projected into the path of the continuously rotating lug I), as shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the lug Z2 will engage the elbow of the toggle. and rotate the disk D and shaft A.

I claim:

1. A driving member, a driven member, a clutch therebetween, and a clutch controlling member, said clutch comprising an element fixed to the driving member moving in a fixed circular path and an element movable into and out of said path consisting of a toggle, one end of which is pivoted to the driven member and the other end of which is pivoted to said clutch controlling member, said clutch controlling member having a limited movement relative to said driven member adapted to move the elbow of said toggle into and out,

of the path of the clutch element fixed to the drivmg member.

2. A driving member, a driven member,

- a clutch therebetween, and a clutch controlling member, said clutch comprising an element fixed to the driving membermoving in a fixed circular path and anelement movable into and out of said path consisting of a toggle, one end of which is pivoted to the driven member and the other end of which is pivoted to said clutch controlling member, said clutch controlling member having a limited movement relative to the said driven member adapted when arrested to ling member, said clutch comprising an ele ment fixed to the driving member moving in a fixed circular path and an element movable into and out of said path, consisting of a toggle, one end of which is pivoted to the driven member and the other endrof which is pivoted to said clutch controlling member, said clutch. controlling member consisting of a ratchet wheel having ailimited movement of rotation relative to said driven member, adapted when arrested to cause the elbow of the toggle to move out of the path of the clutch element fixed to the driving member, and means adapted when the ratchet wheel is released to cause the'elbow of the toggle again to move into the path of the clutch element fixed to the driving member.

- 4. A driving member, a driven member, a

clutch therebetween, and a clutch control ling member, said clutch COHIPI'lSlIlgilIl element fixed to the driving member moving in a fixed circular path and an element movable into and out of said path consisting of a toggle, one end of which is'piveted to the driven member and the other end of which is pivoted to said clutch controlling member, said clutch controlling member having a limited movement relative the said driven member adapted when arrested to cause the elbow of the toggle to move out of the path of the clutch element fixed to the driving member, and frictional connection between the driving member and the clutch controlling member adapted, when the clutch controlling member is released, to rotate the" clutch controlling member relatively to the driven member and thereby move the elbow of the toggle into the path of the clutch.

elen'rent fixed to. the driving member.

5. A driving member, a driven member, a clutch therebetween and a clutch controlling member, said clutch comprising an element fixed to the driving member moving in a fixed circular path and an element movable into and out of said path consisting of a toggle, one end ofwhich ispivoted. to the driven member and the other end of which is pivoted to said clutch controlling member, said clutch controlling member having a limited movement of rotation relative to said driven member, adapted when arrested to cause the elbow of the toggle to move out of the path of the clutch element fixed to the driving member, a friction wheel connected to the clutch controlling member to turn therewith, and frictional connection between the friction wheel and the driving member adapted, when the clutch controlling member is released, to rotate said friction wheel and clutch controlling member relative to said driven member and thereby move the elbow of the toggle into the path of the clutch element fixed to the driving member.

6. A driving wheel, a driven member, a clutch therebetween, and a clutch controlling ratchet wheel having a limited movement of rotation relative to the driven member, said driven member being between the driving wheel and the ratchet wheel, a friction wheel between the driving wheel and the driven member connected to the ratchet wheel to turn therewith, and a friction strap connecting the friction wheel and the driving wheel, said clutch comprising a projection fixed to the driving wheel moving in a fixed circular path and a toggle pivoted at one end to Said driven member and at the other end to said ratchet wheel, whereby the relative movement of rotation between the ratchet wheel and the driven member will move the elbow of the toggle into or out of the path of the projection on the driving wheel.

7. A shaft, a driving wheel loose on said shaft, a driven wheel fixed to said shaft, a clutch controlling ratchet wheel having a limited movement of rotation relative to the driven wheel, said driven wheel being between the driving wheel and the ratchet wheel, a friction wheel between the driving wheel and the driven wheel, a stud connecting the friction wheel to the ratchet wheel, said driven wheel having an elongated slot through which said stud passes, and a friction strap connecting the friction wheel and the driving wheel, said clutch comprising a projection fixed to the driving wheel moving in a fixed circular path and a toggle pivoted at one end to said driven wheel and at the other end to said stud connecting the ratchet wheel and friction wheel, whereby the relative movement of rotation between. the ratchet wheel and the driven wheel will move the elbow of the toggle into and out of the path of the projection on the driving wheel.

Signed by me at Winooski, Vermont, this seventh day of June, 1916.

. GEORGE M. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

